Dive Experience — Diving St. Croix for 33 years

Michelle Pugh, a 39-year resident of St Croix, learned to dive in Los Angeles while high school and hasn’t stopped since! In 1992, along with Jacques Cousteau, she was inducted into the platinum Pro 5000 through SSI. In 2004, she was inducted into the Women Divers Hall of Frame for being the first woman to dive with killer whales in the wilds of Canada, the first American woman to teach diving in Moscow, Russia and for establishing the mooring system on St Croix to protect the coral reefs. Michelle was also given the SBDC and Congressional Award for Entrepreneurial Success for Dive Experience. Sam Halvorson, Captain, Instructor, Dive Master, and Videographer, has been on board for 28 years. He knows the reefs like the back of his hand. His videos are a favorite souvenir! Skeeter, the dog, loves the dive boat and swimming with the divers. Michelle, who’s made over 10,000 dives on St. Croix, is the only dive center owner that actually dives most everyday–guiding lots of customers by request. While developing the dive mooring sites, she has explored most St Croix reefs and walls. Michelle has also traveled the world just to dive–like the East coast of the US from Florida to Rhode Island, the West coast from Canada to Mexico, The Red Sea, Australia, Solomon Islands, Borneo, Philippines, the Antarctic, and most of the Caribbean Islands. Next stop is the Galapagos Islands! Dive Experience is St Croix’s first dive operator and the first PADI 5-star IDC center. They teach diving from novice to professional instructors. Located at Kings Alley on the boardwalk, their USCG-licensed dive boat is steps away on the dock. The full-service center features basic snorkel equipment to recreational and professional dive gear from Aqualung (US Divers) plus hats, towels, tees, Trudi Gilliam fish art and the largest Reef sandal selection on island. “With years in the business and my experience over time, I’d can say that Dive Experience is simply the best!”Tel. 340-773-3307www.divexp.comAdvertisement